EventHelper.java

package eventmanage;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Date;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.text.ParseException;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * Helper class for event operations *** DO NOT MODIFY ***
 *
 * @author Faiyaz Doctor
 * @version 1.2 - 25/09/13
 */
public class EventHelper {
    // used in getenation ID
    private static int idNumber = 100;

    // Check ordering (after sort-by-ID and converting to array), will return true if in order, false otherwise
    public static boolean eventsOrderCheck(NEC_Event[] arr) {
        for (int i = 1; i < arr.length; i++)
            if (arr[i].compareTo(arr[i - 1]) < 0) {   // not in ascending order
                return false;
            }
        return true;
    }

    // Generate an event unique ID 
    public static String generateEventId() {
        String id = genLetter() + "-" + idNumber++ + genLetter() + genLetter() + genLetter();
        return id;
    }

    // Generate an event type
    public static String genEventConfiguration() {
        List<String> layouts = Arrays.asList("Conference-ConfigA", "Fair-Config1", "Concert-ConfigM",
                "Conference-ConfigC", "Fair-Config2", "Concert-ConfigL", "Conference-ConfigD",
                "Fair-Config4", "Concert-ConfigU", "Conference-ConfigB", "Fair-Config3", "Concert-ConfigV");
        String layoutConfig = layouts.get((int) (layouts.size() * Math.random()));
        return layoutConfig;
    }

    // Create a new date object, 
    // input string date should be in the following format ("dd/MM/yyyy"), e.g. 27/09/2013
    public static Date createDate(String date) {
        Date d = null;

        try {
            SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");
            d = sdf.parse(date);
        } catch (ParseException e) {
            System.err.println("Date is in the wrong format should be 'dd/MM/yyyy'");
            return d;
        }

        return d;
    }

    // check if a date is greater than current date, returns true if is greater, false otherwise
    public static boolean checkDate(Date date) {
        Date today = new Date();

        if (date.after(today)) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }

    // method to convert list of NEC_Events into an array to be used by eventsOrderCheck()
    public static NEC_Event[] getEventsArray(List<NEC_Event> list) {
        NEC_Event[] eventsArray = list.toArray(new NEC_Event[0]);
        return eventsArray;
    }

    // generate letter utility method used in generateEventId()
    private static char genLetter() {
        return (char) ('A' + (int) (26 * Math.random()));
    }

}